Malice
by Gemini14
Summary: Rated for language mainly. Vicious meets his equal when a female assassin feared by all (even the Syndicate) enters the scene. Little do they realize just what fate may pull on them... R/R Please
1. Chapter One

Malice

Chapter One

Rain. The man known as Vicious had come to hate it in the hours he'd had to wait for a car to arrive to pick him up from the cathedral. He was soaked, his shoulder hurt, and he was pretty badly burned; not a good combination for him. Blood dripped from his fingers as he leaned against a wall, not looking forward to having to walk all the way back to the headquarters. He growled when he thought of Spike; he thought he'd finally gotten rid of the bastard, but, when he'd gotten to ground level, he didn't find the body anywhere. He doubled over when hacking coughs wracked his frame, and looked in disgust at his hand, that of which was covered in tiny spots of blood, before it was washed clean by the rain.

"_Just peachy_." Vicious thought, sarcastically, now knowing that there were more problems than just his exterior injuries to worry about.

"Hey, are you just gonna stand here all day?" an impatient voice asked. It was then that Vicious realized that someone was standing in front of him, holding an umbrella over his head.

"So, it's you." Vicious managed to say, before stifling some more ragged coughing with his hand. The person before him smirked, her dark blue eyes reflecting a somewhat sarcastic mood. 

"Yeah, got a problem with it, V?" the woman asked, challenging the wounded man with her eyes. He shook his head, not speaking since he knew that when he did, it irritated his damaged lungs.

"Good. But damn, you look like you've been marched through hell's half acre." The woman said, looking Vicious over with just a glance.

"You look good too, Malice." Vicious replied, despite the burning pain in his chest and throat. She arched an eyebrow.

"C'mon, let's get out of this rain. I certainly don't want to die of pneumonia or somethin' like that." The woman said, as she ushered Vicious to a waiting car. The woman known as Malice had been in the Syndicate for as long as she could remember. Even longer than Vicious, and with just as bad a reputation. She was known for being ruthless and cunning, and also for being very regal (when she wanted to be). All of the men in the Syndicate knew to be wary of Malice, and to stay out of her way, lest they end up, well, childless. Malice looked back at Vicious from her rearview mirror. Even though he did his best to hide it, he was in a lot of pain. She winced when she heard him cough again, and noticed that his breathing was becoming more labored.

"Hang on, Vicious, we're almost there." Malice said, as she sped onto the off ramp, ignoring the blaring horns of fellow motorists while she was at it. 

"Another of your shortcuts, Malice?" Vicious asked, as he wiped blood from the corner of his mouth.

"You could call it that. Hang on!" Malice said, as she swerved out into oncoming traffic. She smirked when she heard grumbled profanities from the backseat, many of them in several different languages.

"Fluent in the tongues, I see." Malice quipped, as she flew between oncoming cars. She could almost feel the ice in Vicious' gaze as she sped on, heading for their home base. She could almost hear Vicious' sigh of relief when the reached the Red Dragons' home base, and definitely heard when a sigh of some sort was cut short by more coughing.

"Maybe I should have taken you to a hospital, instead." Malice said, letting a tiny sliver of worry emerge in her voice. Vicious didn't answer, but she could tell that he didn't favor the idea. For some reason or another, the man hated hospitals with a passion. Malice sighed. 

"Then I guess that means I'm going to be playing nurse for a while. What is it with men and getting torn up that seems so inevitable?" Malice muttered, as she parked her car along the curb and got out. Vicious followed suit, but quickly found that standing up again after sitting down was far more painful. He leaned heavily on the car, trying to get his breath back, and almost panicking when he found he couldn't. His vision swam, and there was a roaring sound in his ears. The next thing he knew was that he was on his back, looking up at the concerned visage of Malice. Then his world faded to black.

When Vicious next awoke, he was in an unfamiliar room. For a moment, he thought he was back in Julia's apartment, but then he remembered that she had long since disappeared.

"So, you're awake. You scared the hell out of me, you know that?" Malice's voice said, as Malice herself appeared before him.

"Where am I?" Vicious whispered, growling when he heard how pathetic he sounded.

"My place. You've been here for a little over a week." Malice said, matter-of-factly, as she pressed a hand to his forehead and managed to look relieved when she found no fever.

"And you've been watching over me all this time? I didn't think you had any of that kind of kindness in you." Vicious muttered, wincing as his lungs protested against his talking.

"I don't think of it as 'kindness'. I think of it more as being professional interest." Malice replied, casually, refusing to take the barb that had been thrown at her. Vicious arched an eyebrow, but said no more, as he closed his ice blue eyes and focused on breathing.

"I found your katana, by the way." Malice said, with a smirk, after a few moments. Vicious looked at her and blinked.

"I found it two whole blocks away from the cathedral. Spiegel sure had it in for ya, didn't he?" Malice asked, noticing when a rather sour expression crossed Vicious' features.

"Just as I have it in for him." Vicious said, his voice softer than it was before, but still carrying some venom. 

"No doubt about that. But why is it so personal?" Malice asked, even though she knew what the answer would be.

"None of your business." Vicious replied, sharply.

"Could it be because of that whore, oh, what was her name? Julia? Is that it?" Malice asked, knowing she'd struck a nerve when she saw Vicious painfully sit up and attempt to strike her. She easily dodged, unsheathed her own katana, and pressed it to the man's throat.

"Think twice before trying that again, Vicious. Otherwise, you won't even have to worry about chasing Spike." Malice purred, dangerously, as she pressed the sword's keen edge against Vicious' pale neck, just enough to draw blood. Then she turned and walked out, wiping the sword clean with an old rag as she went. Vicious sat where he was in stunned silence. No one had ever dared do that to him before! 

"_I think I have just met my match._" Vicious thought, as he warily lay back down, waiting for the moment when she would return; either to finish him off, or to feed him.

Author's Note!

Okay, this is my first requested fic! I know Vicious may be OOC but Cowboy Bebop never really reveals much about Vicious' character (it only makes him look like a scumbag). Still, he has to have been human enough to love at one time, right? Well, anyhow, the character of Malice doesn't belong to me. She's the brainchild of my friend Archaic Raven (but direct any flames to me, not her, okay?). This story takes place a little after the aftermath of Episode Five: The Ballad of Fallen Angels. 

Gemini


	2. Chapter Two

Chapter Two

Malice sighed in frustration as she toweled off her long, raven hair. She had just gotten out of the shower, and the phone was ringing off the hook. She cursed as she rushed over to answer it, yet smirked when she found that she wasn't alone in her thoughts; Vicious was in his room, mumbling obscenities that probably would have made the Van blush with embarrassment. 

"_Ah, yes. My houseguest feels the same._" Malice thought, as she chose to ignore the phone, and remember.

**__**

Flashback

Explosions rocked the area as a Syndicate hit went down. A slightly younger Vicious ran hell for leather away from the exploding building, but he wasn't fast enough to prevent a shard of shrapnel from going through his right thigh. He winced, but never once made a sound as he limped over to a rocky overhang and settled down under it. Blood flowed freely from the ugly gash in his leg, and throbbed painfully when he put any pressure to it. 

"You all right, new kid?" a woman's voice asked. Startled, Vicious grabbed his katana and stood, grimacing as he put weight back onto his wounded leg. The woman was a sight to behold; she was tall, almost as tall as he was, with long, hip length, midnight black hair and piercing sapphire eyes. A scar graced the right side of her face, starting from just beyond the hairline, to her jaw. Her attire consisted of an almost skintight black bodysuit, black boots, and a black trench coat. Her hair was tied back away from her face in a loose tail. She arched an eyebrow.

"What're you staring at?" the woman asked, with a hint of challenge in her voice.

"I'm not staring." Vicious replied, coldly, suspicious of the woman in black.

"Then what are you doing?" the woman again asked.

"Admiring beauty when I see it." Vicious said, coolly. The woman smirked.

"You're a smooth one. What's your name?" the woman asked, this time almost conversationally.

"Why do you want to know?" Vicious asked, still suspicious of the woman.

"I'm just curious." The woman replied, with a slight shrug.

"My name is Vicious. And, by the way, I am not a kid." Vicious said, moodily.

"I can see that." The woman said, looking down as she said that. Vicious could almost feel the blood rushing to his face, and growled when the woman snickered at his expense.

"Well, since I know your name, and have so ruthlessly slain your self-confidence, I'll tell you my name. My name is Malice." The woman said, almost joking in her tone as she leaned on her katana. 

"Not very original." Vicious muttered, trying to regain his composure.

"Funny, I should be telling you the same thing about your name." Malice said, getting a patented 'dagger glare' from the man across from her.

"Why are you here? Who sent you?" Vicious asked, getting back to the matter at hand.

"I'm here to provide a ride home for you. Chauffeur service, if you will. The higher ups of the Red Dragons sent me here. I can assume that you are one of us?" Malice asked, expecting an answer from the sullen man.

"Yes. I belong to the Red Dragons." Vicious said, almost sounding relieved that he didn't have to walk home on his bad leg.

"C'mon then. You can't stand there all night with your leg like that. Let's get back and get it tended to." Malice said, as she motioned for him to follow her. Without another word, Vicious followed the black-clad woman to her car, stubbornly refusing to give in to the pain. The ride home was even more harrowing than the escape from the exploding building.

"What the hell are you trying to do?! Get us both killed?!?" Vicious asked, as he hung on for dear life in the backseat. 

"You don't like my driving? Then get out and walk!" Malice replied, as she swerved around oncoming cars. 

"I think I'd be safer." Vicious muttered, biting back a yelp when he was thrown into the car door, and his wounded leg hit the window lever. The car suddenly screeched to a halt on a dark street.

"Then walk the rest of the way! Don't look to me for any more freebies!" Malice snarled, as she shoved him out of the car, slammed the door, then sped off. After mumbling a few choice words, Vicious got to his feet and started walking. At that time, a slight drizzle had begun, making the street look like the set for an old Sherlock Holmes mystery.

"Or a Dracula movie." Vicious thought, sarcastically, as he limped along, ignoring the searing pain each footstep brought. Much to his dismay, the rain increased, so now Vicious was walking through a downpour. 

"Maybe I shouldn't have said anything about her driving…………….._But, then again, she was driving like a lunatic." Vicious thought as he leaned against the side of a building to catch his breath. When he felt he could go on, Vicious again started walking. Rainwater and blood dripped from Vicious' foot as he marched steadily onward. Just as he was beginning to feel a little dizzy from the pain, he reached the apartment complex where Julia lived, and breathed a sigh of relief. Almost as though they had sensed his approach, Julia and a man exited the building and looked down the sidewalk at him._

"Vicious!" Julia yelped, breaking the firm hold Vicious had over the pain in his leg. With little more than a slight moan of pain, Vicious' leg gave out, sending him toppling to the ground. He heard both of them rush over, and grimaced when the man carefully hoisted him onto his shoulder.

"Stay awake, Vicious. Just stay awake for a little bit longer." Julia said, as she helped the man carry him inside. The last thing Vicious saw before unconsciousness claimed him was the face of the man, and his look of concern. When Vicious again opened his eyes, he found himself in a warm, dry apartment.

"So, I wasn't dreaming." Vicious thought, tiredly, but managed a smile when he saw Julia enter the room, carrying what appeared to be a mug of hot tea.

"You're awake." Julia said, gently.

"Barely. Who was the man that was here? Where is he now?" Vicious asked, suspiciously.

"You mean Spike? He just came by here to check on me and see if you had gotten back yet. He was worried about you." Julia said, smiling when she saw his look of surprise.

"How long have I been asleep?" Vicious asked, quietly, feeling a little more at ease now that he knew she wasn't entertaining any male guests.

"Five days. We thought you were going to die. It is only today that your fever broke and you woke up." Julia said, then gave him a curious look.

"What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" Vicious asked.

"You kept calling out a name while you were asleep. At least, I think it was a name, since you would only say that and not anything that could be attached to a word like that." Julia said, with some confusion on her face.

"What was the word or name I kept calling out?" Vicious asked.

"Malice." Julia replied. Vicious lay where he was in stunned silence; he had called for that woman in his sleep?! Why in the world did he do that?! He didn't even know the woman that well, and, to make matters worse, he'd royally pissed her off!

"Vicious?" Julia asked.

"Never mind." Vicious muttered, as he closed his eyes and sighed; why did things have to get so complicated all of a sudden? He would probably never know.

****

End Flashback

Malice was startled from her musings by the very man she'd been thinking about. He was standing in front of her, with something akin to a deadpan expression on his face. She uttered a yelp and jumped back.

"Shit! Don't do that, V!" Malice shouted, her heart beating faster than it ever had before. The silver-haired man arched an eyebrow.

"Orders from the Van, we have a mission as of tonight." Vicious informed, in his usual quiet manner.

"So that's what they were calling us up for. I guess I should have picked up the phone, ne?" Malice said, with a hint of sarcasm in her voice. Vicious didn't answer, but she could tell that he wasn't at all fond of the idea of leaving the comfort of the apartment in the middle of a rainy night. But orders were orders. Yet, as Malice watched him, she noticed how tired he looked. His hair was mussed from sleep, his eyes were dull and bloodshot (but that was from lack of sleep, not drugs or alcohol this time), and even his posture reflected how exhausted he was.

"_He shouldn't be going at all. His wounds haven't even finished healing yet. Sure, there's less of a chance of them reopening now, but he still needs plenty of rest in order to recover fully. Damn Van's trying to work him to death!_" Malice thought, as she directed angry thoughts at the leadership of the Syndicate. Within moments, they were both ready and went out into the dreary night, knowing that long hours lay ahead. Little did either of them realize just what lay ahead…………..


	3. Chapter Three

Chapter Three

After a rather leisurely drive through town (to Vicious' relief, Malice didn't drive this time), Vicious and Malice arrived at their destination. It appeared to be one of the more upper-class apartment complexes on Mars; just the type that had tighter-than-Fort-Knox security. Malice sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose; she could already feel a migraine coming on, and they hadn't even entered the building yet.

"So, who's the target?" Malice asked, as she opened the trunk and got her katana and gun out (she didn't usually use a gun, but she liked having it in case of emergencies).

"Someone by the name of 'Jester'. Ever heard of him?" Vicious asked, turning to her with the oddest expression on his face.

"Nope, can't say that I have. Why does the Van want him dead?" Malice asked, as she and the silver-haired man looked for a good way to get in.

"Apparently they'd caught wind of him stealing from the funds; he's the usual bottom of the barrel scum." Vicious muttered, almost growling in disdain for being sent after the small fry. 

"So they called us up in the middle of the freaking night just to catch some money laundering dip-shit. V, I'm telling you, one of these days those wrinkled old asswipes will have my katana shoved up their asses!" Malice growled, her eyes lighting up as she said that. Vicious' raised both eyebrows in mock surprise.

"Maybe you should have been named 'Vicious', instead." Vicious said, in a voice so quiet that Malice had to strain her ears in order to hear him. She grinned.

"Nah, then that would get too confusing. That name suits you far better than it does me." Malice purred. Vicious smirked; at least he wasn't alone in his hatred of the Van. Finally, after an hour of searching, they found a suitable entrance; a second story balcony door. The owners of the apartment had left the door ajar. Vicious growled when he stepped on a toy that had been left in the middle of the room by a child, but then he picked it up and looked at it. It was a small replica of an old anime battleship, made from more durable plastic than toys from fifty years ago were made with. For a few moments, Vicious was lost in memories of his own youth; silently reliving days long since past. Malice watched in silence as the wall that was around Vicious' emotions briefly came down, revealing a man who'd had everything taken away. She watched as he reverently put the model on a shelf so it wouldn't get stepped on again, then slowly slipped back into business mode.

"Let's go, we can't afford to waste any more time in here." Vicious said, with a tone Malice had never heard before.

"Right. Let's get this over with." Malice said, thinking better of not asking her partner about what she had just seen. As they made their way into the hall, she noticed how silent Vicious was.

"_Almost like a cat_………….._no, more like a tiger or a panther._" Malice thought, as she followed his lead to the stairs.

"So, what floor is he on?" Malice asked, whispering in case there were any bodyguards nearby.

"Tenth floor." Vicious replied, back to his usual self.

"Eight floors to go. He didn't choose a very high room, did he?" Malice asked.

"No………..that in itself is peculiar. Suspicious." Vicious growled, narrowing his eyes at that thought. 

"I agree." Malice said, as they continued their climb in silence. When they had gotten to their floor, they were surprised by the lack of security in the halls.

"I wonder what is going on here?" Vicious mused, as he and Malice moved stealthily down the darkened hallway. Then, before either of them could react, the hallway seemed to explode into a hail of lead.

"Damn!" Vicious and Malice shouted, at the same time, as they tried to avoid getting hit and firing back with their guns when they got the chance. 

"Malice!" Vicious shouted, as he unsheathed his katana and motioned towards the gunmen. With a sneer and a nod, Malice followed his lead, unsheathed her katana, and followed him in a headlong charge right into the center of the gunmen's group. The gunmen were so shocked by the two that, before they could retaliate, their heads were flying across the hall.

"It's at the end of the hall." Vicious said, as he again led her forward. Finally, they arrived at the room where the so called 'Jester' was hiding. When they opened the door, however, they were in for a nasty surprise.

"Hello, Red Dragons. To whom do I owe the pleasure of meeting this night?" a youthful voice asked, from the behind the desk.

"_Something isn't right._" Vicious thought, as he approached the desk slowly, and turned the high-backed desk chair around, revealing the mangled corpse of their quarry.

"What the hell?!" Malice yelped, for the first time in her life, truly horrified by what she saw. So shocked was she by the condition of the body in the chair, that Malice didn't notice the figure emerging from the shadows until it was almost too late.

"Malice!" Vicious shouted, shoving her aside before a gunshot sounded. Time slowed down for a few seconds as Malice landed soundly on her rump, and watched in stunned silence as the man known as Vicious took a bullet to the stomach, stumbled a few feet back, and remained standing to face the one that had shot him.

"Who are you? Who the hell are you?" Vicious gritted, his eyes narrowed dangerously as he maintained a good, steady grip on his katana with his right hand, while his left arm was wrapped around his wounded midsection. The figure, who turned out to be a thirteen year old boy, smirked at him.

"I am known as Scorpion. I've heard of you, Vicious. You're a very hated man in the Dragon Head. I've always wanted to meet you." The youth said, approaching Vicious, and even so much as daring to look directly into his eyes.

"You'd better watch yourself, kid. You might wind up dead." Malice snarled, as she stood and held her katana to the boy's throat. 'Scorpion', arched an eyebrow, arrogance very evident in his expression.

"Is that so? Even as we speak, my associates are on their way up here. All I would have to do is call out, and they would storm this room. There's no way you can take them all on, especially with Vicious in the condition he's in." Scorpion sneered, with false concern when he saw the dark stain on Vicious' trench coat.

"Damn you." Malice growled, as she got closer to Vicious to see what kind of shape he was really in. She could tell from the look in his eyes that he was in no shape to fight; despite all his training, the pain was overwhelming him. With a move that she would wonder about till her dying day, Malice sheathed her katana, turned, threw one of Vicious' arms over her shoulders, turned to leave, and flipped the youth the bird before flying out the door and down the hall.

"What the hell…………….are you doing…………..Malice?" Vicious choked, as they rushed to the elevator.

"Don't talk, run. This place is about to turn into hell. Do you really want to see that?" Malice asked, almost sighing in relief when they came upon an elevator that appeared to be working. Strangely enough, there were no people chasing them, which Malice found rather odd.

"Malice?" Vicious asked, when they had stopped to catch their breaths inside the elevator.

"What?" Malice replied, sharply.

"Is it just me, or have you gotten shorter?" Vicious asked.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Malice asked, almost afraid that her partner was delusional because of the pain he was in. Vicious shrugged.

"I'd always thought you were a bit taller than what you really are." Vicious replied, showing the tiniest bit of humor in his ice blue eyes. Malice deadpanned. 

"Count on you to find out that I am short at a time like this…………" Malice muttered, as she turned and pressed the button that would get them to the ground floor. Since they were only on the tenth floor, the descent was rather quick. Yet, once again, when they came to the ground level, there were no security officers in sight.

"Something very bizarre is going on here. Were those security officers we faced earlier, or were they Dragon Head's lackeys?" Malice mused, as she and Vicious made good their escape.

"More than likely……………..they were Dragon Heads. That would explain why this place is so quiet." Vicious muttered, gritting his teeth with every step he took. 

"We need to get you to a hospital. There's no way I can treat that stomach wound on my own." Malice said, when she saw that Vicious' left arm was completely soaked in blood.

"The Syndicate has a clinic on the other side of town. We'll need to steal a car in order to get to it." Vicious said, as he eyed the cars that were parked along the curb (the car they had arrived in had long since gone).

"Way ahead of ya, V." Malice said, as she carefully leaned him against the side of the building, then went about breaking into, and hot wiring, a car.

"You're not going to drive your usual way are you?" Vicious asked, with a note of dread in his voice. Malice glanced at him. She could tell by the pain in his eyes that he wouldn't be able to take the way she normally drove.

"No. I'll obey the rules of the road this time." Malice said, almost smirking when the man uttered a sigh of relief. Within moments, they were on their way; Vicious in the backseat, and Malice at the wheel. But the trip was destined to be short lived. No sooner did they get onto the freeway, the car started showing signs of breaking down.

"Shit……………..I've stolen a lemon! You'd think that those preps could get better cars! Dammit!" Malice snarled, as the car sputtered to a stop on the side of the road. Her hackles rose when she heard a chuckle from the backseat. 

"Watch it, buddy, or I'll make sure you suffer worse than what you are now." Malice purred, her dangerous side coming through.

"I'm sure you could Malice…………….I'm sure you could. But would you?" Vicious replied, his voice a little weaker than it had been a few moments before.

"Hang on, we're going to have to get out of this thing, so I can do something about the bleeding. Can you move?" Malice asked, as she peered over the front seat at her partner. Vicious sat up with a grimace, every move he made pure agony. For the first time in years, a feeling of pity rose in Malice's heart; it actually hurt to see this man in so much pain. Crawling, she moved to the passenger side door and opened it so she could get out. Then she opened the other passenger door and assisted Vicious in climbing out of the car. His face drawn from the effort of just getting to his feet, Vicious looked almost as though he could pass out at any moment. Deciding against remaining in the open, Malice decided to hide in one of the many decrepit houses that lined the freeway. Once inside, she got him to lie down on the dusty floor, then removed his trench coat and blood soaked shirt so she could have clear access to the wound. She winced inwardly when she saw the neat hole in his abdomen.

"Doesn't look good, does it?" Vicious asked, his breaths coming in short gasps as he said that.

"No, it doesn't. And it looks like I'll have to remove it myself after all." Malice muttered, really dreading having to pull the bullet out herself. He grumbled a curse in response to that. The next couple of moments were excruciating for both Malice and Vicious. Despite lacking the necessary equipment for removing a bullet from the stomach (like anesthesia for example) Malice managed to pull the piece of lead out without damaging her partner further. And, even though the pain was intense, Vicious never once screamed, and lay perfectly still while she was doing it. When she was through, and had stitched the wound closed, she looked again at Vicious' face. His ice blue eyes were barely open, but he saw her and managed a weak smirk.

"If you had wanted to kill me, you would have done so by now, wouldn't you?" Vicious asked, his voice raw with fresh pain.

"Yep. I would have." Malice said, teasingly, trying to hide her worry for him. 

"Hmm…………….you're so different…………." Vicious murmured, his voice losing its usual steely edge.

"What do you mean, V?" Malice asked, as she wiped some sweaty strands of silver hair from his face.

"Nothing. Malice?" Vicious asked, his voice soft, almost too soft for her to hear.

"What?" Malice asked, in turn.

"Your lap. Would you mind………..?" Vicious asked, again. It took a moment for this to sink into Malice's tired brain, but, when it did, she was stunned. Vicious wanted to pillow his head on her lap?! She had to be dreaming!

"Hold it, I thought you only wanted Julia!" Malice said, heatedly, spitting the name 'Julia' out as though it had a bad taste to it. Vicious flinched, but didn't retaliate.

"She's no longer around………………." Vicious murmured, with true sadness in his voice. Malice felt her heart of stone melt in that brief instant.

"Okay. But just this once." Malice said, as she gently placed Vicious' head and shoulders on her lap. The moment his head touched her lap, Vicious visibly relaxed, breathing out all the pain and tension in a soft sigh. 

"Vicious?" Malice asked, a little alarmed at how quiet the man now was. He uttered a soft sound in his throat, but didn't open his eyes, signaling that he'd either passed out, or gone to sleep. 

"_Poor thing. He was so tired before we left, and now this has happened to him. Wait a darned minute! What the hell am I thinking?! This is Vicious I'm thinkin' about here! Not any normal human being by any stretch of the imagination, but Vicious!_" Malice thought, mentally slapping herself, then she looked down at him again. There he lay, the most feared man in the Syndicate, sleeping peacefully with his head on her lap. Her lap; not Julia's! 

"_Hah! Beat that, Julia!_" Malice thought, with a smirk and an evil thought directed at the absent blonde. Vicious slept on, oblivious for once what was going on around him. For the first time in years, he was at peace, and he just wanted to stay that way for a little while. 


	4. Chapter Four

Chapter Four

Vicious watched in amused silence as Malice chewed the pizza delivery boy out about being so late. That was one side of Malice no one wanted to see; no living being has ever gotten away with getting between Malice's pizza or ramen. When she'd sent the delivery boy away crying for his mother, Malice turned and carried the now cold pizza back to the kitchen, hoping to at least salvage it.

"Have fun?" Vicious asked, dryly. He received only a growl for a response.

"That's the last time I ever order from Pizza Hut! Three hours is too fricken' long, even for Mars!" Malice ranted, as she slammed the pizza box down onto the table. Vicious kept his face neutral, since he knew that if he smirked, he'd probably end up dead.

"What do you intend to do now?" Vicious asked, as Malice set the oven's temperature in preparation to reheat the pizza.

"Kill some pizza boys." Malice muttered, her temper starting to wind down. Vicious arched an eyebrow and shook his head. He winced slightly when he stood and stretched, slight twinges of pain emanating from his stomach from where a bullet had gone in. 

"Y'know, V, I'm surprised with how fast that stomach wound is healing." Malice mused, as she sat down and waited for the oven to heat up.

"If you could call two surgeries and a month of rehab, fast." Vicious muttered, with a sour look as he remembered the two rather unpleasant occasions he'd woken up in the hospital after surgery.

"Any normal man would still be in bed, but you're up and about. Are you sure you're even human, V?" Malice teased.

"Who said I wasn't?" Vicious replied, coolly. Malice shrugged. 

"Nobody in particular." Malice said, as the oven beeped, telling her that it was hot enough. There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before Malice's pet cat, a black cat that was named Leiko, hopped onto Vicious' lap and demanded to be petted.

"Demanding little one, aren't you?" Vicious asked, his voice soft and slightly amused. 

"It's strange. She has really warmed up to you. Leiko doesn't usually take to strangers." Malice said, as she put the cold pizza into the oven.

"I wonder why…………" Vicious murmured, as he rubbed the cat's ears with unusual gentleness. As Malice watched him, Vicious' expression eased as he paid attention to the blue-eyed black cat, smoothing out the lines on his handsome face and bringing a certain softness to his eyes.

"_He really is a handsome man. A handsome man with a lot of issues. That bitch Julia really f***ed him up._" Malice thought, darkly, chuckling as Leiko licked Vicious on the nose, and watched his expression go from content to mildly surprised.

"Now that is something she only usually does to me. She must really like you." Malice said, as she stood to retrieve the pizza from the oven.

"Do tell?" Vicious said, as the cat gave him an innocent look from its position on his lap. He watched as Malice removed their dinner from the oven, surprised when he found that he was as calm and at ease as he was around Malice. 

"_The most feared woman in the Syndicate, and only I am comfortable around her. I wonder why?_" Vicious thought, arching an eyebrow when she put a plate before him and gave him a small piece of pizza.

"What? You know what the doctors said, V. You've gotta take it easy." Malice said, from around the largest slice of pizza in the box. Vicious rolled his eyes, remembering all too well the many lectures he'd been given by the doctors about his stomach. Malice snickered.

"When I get my hands on that kid, he'll be screaming for mercy, even while his head is detached from his neck." Vicious growled, biting into and tearing at his pizza slice for emphasis.

"Please V, not at the dinner table, if you please." Malice said, her expression deadpan. Vicious smirked, ice blue eyes having a sort of mischief in them.

"Well, you know that is the truth of the matter. I wouldn't even have to worry about how much I eat if that damn kid hadn't shot me up." Vicious said, as the mischievous look faded from his eyes and was replaced by a deep hatred. 

"I know, V, I know. But the Dragon Head is a powerful Syndicate. Almost as powerful as the Red Dragons. There's no way we'll even be able to get close to the kid without getting ourselves killed. Believe me, I want to get him as much as you do." Malice said, with some anger of her own in her eyes and voice. Vicious sat back and blinked. 

"Why are you so angry about what happened to me?" Vicious asked; seemingly surprised that Malice wanted to get revenge for him. Malice was also taken aback.

"I………I don't know! I guess I…………." Malice stammered, then collected herself and shook her head. Vicious knew by that movement alone that he wasn't going to get any more answers from her for that train of thought. Later, after dinner was over and the dishes had been washed, Vicious reclined on the couch with the cat on his chest, reading a book. He could hear the water running in the shower, and knew where Malice was. With her absence in the room, he had time to think clearly. Why was it that he felt so comfortable around her? It had even been that way a long time before his run-in with Spike, when they would see one another in the hall, they would greet the other in their own fashion. And still he couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity. For some reason, he'd known something about a few of her mannerisms before she'd even displayed them.

"_What is it about her that is so familiar?_" Vicious wondered, not even bothering to look up when Malice entered the room in her solid black bathrobe, toweling off her hair while she walked. Across the room, there was a full length mirror, and this was the one Malice usually used to help her brush her long raven hair after a shower. Then something unusual happened as Vicious watched Malice begin to brush her hair; her reflection was replaced, for the briefest of moments, by something else. It appeared to be a beautiful neko youkai, like the ones that were supposed to have roamed the ancient land of Japan when the Earth was still populated. The youkai's delicate black ears were pricked, listening for the slightest sound, and deep, slitted blue eyes were intent on the job at hand. A long, sleek tail curled delicately around the stool she was sitting on, twitching in time with the brush strokes. Vicious blinked and rubbed his eyes, but when he looked again, Malice's reflection was back, as though the youkai image had never been there to begin with.

"_What was that just now?!_" Vicious wondered, shaking his head to clear it of the image he'd just seen. 

"What's wrong, V? You look like you've just seen a ghost." Malice said, as she gave him a look that had a minute trace of concern in it.

"Nothing. Any word from the Van?" Vicious asked, his face taking on a look of distaste when he mentioned the Red Dragon leaders.

"Not a word. It seems they're giving us a break for a change." Malice said, smirking when Vicious knocked on the wooden arm of the couch.

"Yeah, knock on wood. As though we could ever get that lucky." Malice muttered, as she turned and walked out onto the balcony. The night was clear and cool, perfect for stargazing; an activity Malice found herself doing more and more often since Vicious had come to live with her. She smiled slightly when Leiko jumped onto her shoulder and purred in her ear. 

"_The stars sure are bright tonight. I wonder what they look like from Earth? They must have looked even more beautiful, especially with the moon hanging like a silver jewel in their midst. Feh, there I go again. Getting all poetic and mushy._" Malice thought, fighting the urge to shiver as a chill breeze blew past. She jumped when she felt something get placed on her shoulders, and turned to find Vicious standing there.

"You're going to make yourself sick if you keep doing this." Vicious said, coolly. Malice smirked.

"I didn't think you had any of that kind of kindness in you." Malice said, repeating the words Vicious had said to her that day when he'd woken up after being unconscious for a week.

"You'd be surprised." Vicious muttered, not intending for her to hear that, but she heard it anyway. Malice cocked her head and arched an eyebrow.

"Do tell." Malice said, grinning when she saw a faint blush appear on Vicious' face. As comfortable silence settled between them, Malice wrapped the coat tighter around her. It was Vicious' coat, she could tell by the smell; it smelled pleasantly of cigarettes and cologne. It was a comforting scent. 

"_A gentleman in disguise. Who would have guessed?_" Malice thought, as she leaned back into him, smirking slightly when she felt him tense in surprise, then relax. She was surprised, however, when he wrapped his arms around her, his arms crossed in front of her chest, and his hands gently grasping her shoulders. He then settled his chin on top of her still damp hair and sighed. For a moment, Malice wondered what the hell she should do in that moment; kill him, or allow him to hold her. Then her mind cleared and she realized that he was content just to hold her, and not go any further than that. 

"_He's holding me! He's actually holding me! Not Julia, nor any other woman, but me! Why?_" Malice wondered, as she listened to his heartbeat. It was calm and steady, signaling that he was comfortable with the situation. At the same time, Vicious also noticed how at ease he felt, while holding Malice.

"_As ludicrous as this sounds, I actually feel complete. This is right, somehow. What is happening?_" Vicious wondered, knowing that he should probably let go before Malice decided to do something drastic and decidedly detrimental to his manhood. Yet neither one moved; both were content to just stand there, and enjoy one another's company.

Author's Note!

In case some of you haven't noticed, a part of this chapter is connected to Archaic Raven's story 'Cat Scratch Fever'. Go and read her story in order to better understand what parts of this chapter mean. ^ ^

Gemini


End file.
